1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reaction chamber in which chemical reactions can be carried out or in which specimens or samples can be treated with strong acids or bases to digest or dissolve them so that they can be analyzed. In the latter case, the reaction chamber assembly functions as a so-called "digestion chamber" for the treatment of biological and other types of specimens to be analyzed.
2. Prior Art
Chambers for carrying out chemical and bio-chemical reactions must normally be sealed to prevent loss of any products of the reactions, and the materials from which such chambers are made must be inert relative to the reaction taking place. Reaction chambers commonly comprise stoppered glass, metal, ceramic or plastics material, flasks or bottles.
The strong acids and bases used in the digestion of specimens so that they can be analyzed are highly corrosive and thus most of the normal reaction chamber materials cannot be used for this purpose. The materials used must also be inert to the bio-chemical products of the digestion. The most non-reactive materials known for digestion chambers are Teflon (Registered Trademark) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). These are both amorphous, or cold flow materials. Digestion chambers comprising bottles made from Teflon (Registered Trademark) with screw caps are known. However, these have a very limited lifetime because of the amorphous nature of the materials. When the cap is screwed on, the screw threads distort and it will be difficult to obtain a good seal. After several uses, the seal will no longer be effective. Thus these flasks, although made from a relatively expensive material, have a very short useful lifetime.